In 2026, the German National Tourist Board will promote Germany's appeal centered on culture, food, cities, and nature

Munich: Marienplatz (C)DZT/Dagmar Schwelle

Germany attracts international tourists with a unique art and cultural scene unlike any other country. In 2026, we will recommend Germany as a travel destination through social media and other channels, focusing on culture, nature, and cuisine, and we will strive to ensure that more people visit Germany than last year.

Our organization supports 'April Dream,' an initiative that aims to make April 1st a day for sharing dreams. This press release is the dream of the German National Tourist Board.

In 2026, the German National Tourist Board will base its activities on four global campaigns and three priority themes. In addition to our solid position as a cultural and urban tourism destination, we will focus on themes of authentic experiences, gastronomy, and nature to share Germany's appeal with everyone.

Urban Campaign: "Your Next Stop: Travel Destination Germany"

We will launch an inspiration-focused promotional campaign that introduces the lifestyles of major cities and the unique charm of small and medium-sized cities.

"Culinary Germany" Campaign

We will promote Germany to the world as a diverse and attractive gastronomic destination.

"Feel Good – Erlebnisse, die bleiben" (Sustainable experiences that stay with you)

We will ensure that Germany is recognized as a destination with a large number of certified sustainable tourism products.

"Season’s Greetings from Germany"

While cities with large and diverse Christmas markets such as Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Nuremberg are highly popular, we will also stimulate travel demand for smaller cities and rural regions.

2026 Priority Themes

150th Anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival

In 2026, marking the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival, we will promote cities and regions associated with Richard Wagner as beacons of cultural tourism.

Family and Friends in Nature

We will develop activities to enjoy with family and friends in nature (hiking, cycling, waterside experiences, etc.) as a priority theme.

International Garden Exhibition (IGA) 2027, Ruhr Region

Taking the opportunity of the International Garden Exhibition (IGA)—one of the world's leading garden festivals held every ten years—taking place in the Ruhr region in 2027, we will introduce the region as the "greenest industrial area in the world."

Global Campaign Implementation Plan in Japan

Among the aforementioned global campaign themes and priority themes, the Culinary Germany campaign, the Urban campaign, and the Christmas campaign will be actively promoted in Japan through content marketing and social media. For the Culinary Germany and Christmas campaigns, we plan to deploy widgets on Japanese travel websites utilizing the DZT Knowledge Graph.

Furthermore, in Japan, where there are many opera fans, the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth Festival will be an especially important communication theme.

Regarding the IGA International Garden Exhibition, rather than focusing solely on garden show tourism, we will disseminate information emphasizing the greening of former industrial zones and sustainable regional development, with the aim of uncovering demand for inspection visits from regions in Japan with similar industrial structures as concrete examples of application.

About the German National Tourist Board (DZT)

The German National Tourist Board (DZT) represents Germany as a travel destination on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and is funded by the BMWK based on a resolution of the German Bundestag. In collaboration with the inbound tourism industry in Germany, private partners, and various travel associations, the DZT develops strategies and implements marketing activities to improve the image of Germany as a travel destination and promote travel to Germany by foreign visitors.

The DZT's core strategies are the following three:

- Market-specific customer demand (Sinus-Milieus) analysis based on evidence and market research conducted with clear objectives.

- Strengthening cooperation and information sharing, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises that form the core of the German inbound tourism industry.

- Improving the brand image and strengthening the brand power of Germany as a travel destination.

Priority Themes: Digitalization and Sustainability

The German National Tourist Board (DZT) is focusing on promoting tourism with an eye to the future, in line with the goals of the German government. Among these, digitalization and sustainability are priority items.

For more sustainable and highly competitive inbound tourism, we are first sharing knowledge externally through a three-pillar strategy, and combining this with internal sustainability initiatives to support it. The DZT positions Germany as a travel destination that is accessible to all and rich in sustainability in the international tourism market.

The DZT is a pioneer in the practical application of attention-grabbing new technologies (VR virtual reality, AR augmented reality, MR mixed reality) that utilize AI artificial intelligence such as chatbots and interactive interfaces. To provide services and offers in the tourism sector in a visible and easy-to-understand form through an AI-supported marketing platform, the DZT is implementing an open data/knowledge graph project for the German tourism economy.

The DZT conducts marketing activities through 19 overseas offices around the world, including Tokyo, and the head office located in Frankfurt oversees these overseas offices.

* "April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies share the dreams they hope to achieve in the future. We are seriously aiming to realize this dream.